Fuel System: Change to a Holley on 1957 289 ??

[BassMan]

Hello to All---Hope you are well. I might consider changing my 289 to a more modern carburetor like a Holly, but I want to keep my original Studebaker breather . Is that possible ? Or would that be a PITA ? If anyone is running like this, let me know what carb you are running ( exactly what model etc). My 289 has a Carter WCFB 2214 sb four barrel. I have read that the Carter is really fussy to get just right. I have only rebuilt one two barrel carb in my life, so I don't have a lot of experience with them. I have rebuilt the entire engine so I Guess I could manage the carb as well. I know from reading some of the posts on this site that there are some re-builders out there as well, but I really don't know who to trust. The Carter that is on my engine now was rebuilt by a local guy here in Ohio---and it is leaking. So, I have to fix it myself because he was injured in a car wreck--lucky me. Anyway, I know this has been discussed before but if anyone has the energy, please chime in. Some of the posts were years ago, so maybe things have changed since then ( are trusted re-builders still around ? ). I do not have my mind made up one way or the other. I've been watching a lot of videos on how to set the idle circuit on carburetors. As far as performance is concerned, I'm not interested in getting as much HP as possible, but I would like it to idle smoothly. The engine is still on my home made test stand. Thanks--BassMan

[Studebakercenteroforegon]

When a WCFB is good, it is very good. It can be a very trouble free carburetor, so no need to change. The cast iron base will typically show very little wear at the throttle shafts. There’s a lot of parts to deal with in a rebuild, but it’s impossible to put one together wrong.

[PackardV8]

Having done this for sixty years, anyone who tells you a Holley is less fussy than the correct WCFB is not to be trusted.

Back to the problem you're trying to solve. Your WCFB is leaking specifically how and where and under what conditions?

Then there's that a Holley has its own bolt pattern, different than your WCFB and requires an adapter to bolt to your intake manifold.

(Yeah, Joe, you'll be along with your baby Holley any minute now. Luv ya, man.)

jack vines

[Lark Hunter]

I have only rebuilt one two barrel carb in my life, so I don't have a lot of experience with them.

This would be a good reason to avoid swapping to an aftermarket carburetor. Doing so, and doing it correctly isn't a task to take lightly. I know that many people just bolt on a shiny new carburetor (usually Edelbrock) and call it a job well done, and while an engine might start and run okay enough to pass muster, it's not going to be all it can be unless you set it up and tune it for your exact application. That's why you'll see a whole different host of very similar carbs with different part numbers in a shop/parts manual. A 289 with a manual trans has slightly different requirements than the same car with an automatic. Air conditioning? Altitude? What cam, what compression ratio, final drive, is it a heavy duty application? Tweaks were made to jetting, metering rods, float level, power piston springs, air bleeds, and so forth to tailor a carburetor to its application. The original engineers knew what they were doing. Yes, you may be able to one up them, but you're going to need the chops and equipment to do it. I'd want some wideband oxygen sensors and a dyno at the minimum, as my butt dyno can't spit out any hard numbers.

It would be a lot easier to just do what it takes to make the original carburetor right than to reinvent the wheel. I know my take on this isn't always the most popular, but it's how I've always rolled. FWIW- I don't experience a lot of problems with fueling and drivability, so I think I'll stick with it for my own use case.

[BassMan]

Thanks to all---studebakercenteroforegon, and packard v8 and Lark Hunter. Packard v8--the carb is seeping at those two rivet things pointed down at the back of the picture. It looks like they press in (StudeRich addressed this in an earlier post and they look like they were not installed correctly). You can see gasoline under the head of one of them. I believe I would have to remove the carb and take the three pieces apart to access those plugs ? Some suggested maybe putting a sealant on them at assembly. I am assuming I can drive these out after disassembly ? But I have never been in one of these carbs before. I ran the adjustment screws (in the front) in til they bottomed out and then opened them up 1 1/2 turns. The motor starts and runs pretty well, but the plugs are pretty dark looking. This is a complete rebuild so everything is new. The motor has been run about 45 minutes and the cam is broken in. The compression check is decent I think. All cylinders maxed out at 150 lbs, except for # 7. For some reason it was 142lbs or so. I have been hesitant to idle it for a long time because of the new cam, but I suppose it should be ok now. All valve lifter clearances check out fine--they have not changed. I think I will take everyone's advice and fix what I've got. Thanks again---let me know if you have any more advice about what to watch out for on these carbs. BassMan

[enjenjo]

You can't really get to those plugs from the inside to drive them out. You will have to pry them out from the outside by working a thin blade under the head. Then go to a good hardware store and get some solid aluminum rivets the right diameter, cut them to length and drive them in. I use blue Loctite as a sealer to hold them in place, gasoline won't affect it.

[wdills]

I tried swapping mine for an Edlebrock. It ran but never great and seemed to get worse with time. I ended up sending my original WCFB to Dave T-bow. It came back looking like new and ran perfectly and still does 6 or 7 years later. He set everything and all I had to do was bolt it on. I couldn't even improve on his initial adjustment of the mixture screws.

[Jeffry Cassel]

Best thing is, if it needs it, send the WCFB to Dave T. I've had one on my '61 for 54 yrs and it has been trouble free . I would never replace it with a slobbering Holley! It is all a matter of preferences but preferences should be based on real data and personnal experience.

[BassMan]

Thanks you guys for your input. It really helps. Enjenjo--I was afraid of that ( not being able to access those from the inside). I will use the blue locktite as you suggest. Looks like I will fixing the WCFB. Thanks again ---BassMan